SFI Stands For Future Forests

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) stands for future forests together with the diverse individuals and organizations that are part of our community. As 2017 unfolds, our future is bright and the good news is the recognition of the role and importance of our forests keeps growing. As a sustainability leader, SFI is providing supply chain assurances, elevating the conservation value of managed forests and fostering community engagement.

We promote forest sustainability and support the links between sustainable forests, conservation and communities through grant programs, carefully targeted research, direct leadership of critical initiatives, and partnerships that effectively contribute to multiple conservation objectives. In the coming weeks, the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program is set to announce grants for collaborative projects that focus on quantifying the benefits of the forests we all love. These grants look to the future to ensure conservation values are maintained or enhanced, that youth will always have engaging outdoor experiences and that communities can remain connected with nature.

RECENT NEWS, FACTS AND STATS ON SFI AND ENSURING THE FUTURE OF OUR FORESTS

We welcomed our newest SFI Board member Karla Guyn, CEO of Ducks Unlimited Canada with a media release. We are thrilled to have a conservationist of Karla's stature on our board. She leads a team of nearly 400 people devoted to conserving wetlands, which are one of the most important ecosystems on the planet

New SFI Certificate Holder: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The Department has certified almost 500,000 acres/202,000 hectares to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard. These forestlands will count under the SFI Forest Partners Program, which has a five-year goal to increase the supply of certified forests in the U.S. South by 10 million acres/4 million hectares.

The 2016 Interactive SFI Scorecard is a snapshot of our progress on green building recognition, conservation leadership, growth in certification, consumer recognition and label use, the SFI Forest Partners® Program, social media, conservation and community grants and much more.

Green building reaches new heights, from homes to skyscrapers.Ease of use, strength, beauty, and environmental benefits are just a few of the reasons that responsibly sourced wood materials are starting to become the norm. Learn in this TreeHugger articlehow SFI is a proof point for architects and builders who want to build with responsibly sourced wood products.

Happy New Year from SFI! The SFI community is looking forward to another year of standing for future forests. Learn more: sfiprogram.org.